Weaver Navigation | Canal & River Trust Find events and activities within miles of The River Weaver has been straightened in places to improve navigation, leaving the original line as a quiet backwater where wildlife thrives. The salt mining industry that the river served has also left its mark. Mining subsidence has left lakes, known as flashes, where the salty water is home to coastal plants and a rich array of birdlife. Steep-sided valleys along parts of the river support ancient woodlands untouched by humans. A must-see on the River Weaver is the impressive Anderton Boat Lift . This vast restored Victorian structure hydraulically raises boats 50 feet to the Trent & Mersey Canal. We look after the navigable section of the river, below Winsford. More information about trailable and portable boat launching locations on the Weaver Navigation . Days out If you're looking for cheap days out with the kids then take a look at our free guide to the Anderton Boat Lift Download the guide The history For centuries, the River Weaver has been used for the transport of salt. But manufacturing salt from brine requires coal for fuel (to evaporate the brine), and so merchants were planning improvements along the river as early as the 17th century.

By then, sailing barges had begun navigating along the Weaver from the Mersey to Winsford, bringing coal in and salt out. Various Acts authorised improvements allowing the salt industry to prosper, and throughout the 19th century, the navigation was consistently profitable. The formerly tidal Weaver below Pickerings Wharf underwent substantial modification. Connecting with the Trent & Mersey Eventually, the area became known for the production of other chemicals on increasingly larger scales, and it became commonplace to see vessels of 500 tons or more navigating far inland. The trustees of the Weaver Navigation were determined to connect it with the Trent & Mersey Canal running more than 50 feet (15m) above the level of the river: locks would have been impractical and expensive, so they designed the extraordinary Anderton Lift, which opened in 1875. The lift underwent many modifications but finally succumbed to the effects of corrosion from the surrounding works. It was effectively abandoned in 1983. Having lain unused for almost two decades, it has been now fully refurbished and is once again operational, raising and lowering boats between the canal and the river in two caissons.

Trent & Mersey Canal | Canal & River Trust Our canal & river network Trent & Mersey Canal This cross-country canal takes in the best of what the North Midlands has to offer, with stunning views over the Cheshire Plain. Trent & Mersey Canal Find events and activities within miles of The canal takes you through some of the best scenes that our waterways have to offer, from the towering Anderton Boat Lift through to the heritage-rich industrial sites of Stoke-on-Trent’s potteries district and the nature reserve at picturesque Fradley Junction. The Trent & Mersey Canal, engineered by James Brindley, was the country’s first long-distance canal. It is full of interesting features, which reflect its history. These include Harecastle Tunnel, the lengthy lock flight known as ‘Heartbreak Hill’, and the traditional canal town of Shardlow. The towpath creates a green corridor through Stoke-on-Trent, as well as offering a cycling and walking route through rural Cheshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Find stoppages, restrictions and other navigational advice for this waterway.

Days out There's so much to see and do along the Trent & Mersey Canal from the magnificent Anderton Boat Lift through to the major waterway junction at Trent Lock. If you're planning a day out then check out our free family-friendly guides and make sure you get the best from your trip to the canal. Find days out ideas along the Trent & Mersey Canal Boating The Cheshire Locks, the long flight of locks which drops the canal down from Stoke-on-Trent to the Cheshire Plain, have been mischievously renamed 'Heartbreak Hill' by generations of leisure boaters. This is because the locks are close enough for the lock crew to stay on the towpath, rather than getting back on board... but far enough apart to make serious inroads on your shoe leather. Think of it as a character-building experience. Other boating attractions include the Anderton Boat Lift, the historic Dove Aqueduct, and miles upon miles of slowly winding waterway through the Potteries and the peaceful countryside.

The history Some of the leading aristocrats, gentry and industrialists of the area engaged James Brindley, then a little-known mill engineer, to survey a canal from the Mersey to the Trent, even before the Duke of Bridgewater embarked upon his pioneering canal. A later version of this scheme, then known as the Grand Trunk Canal, was approved by Parliament in 1766, on the same day as the canal joining it to the Severn. Brindley was the engineer of both canals. Josiah Wedgwood was one of the main promoters of the Trent & Mersey Canal, and its branch the Caldon Cana l . The waterways allowed fragile porcelain and china to be transported without breaking on bumpy roads; once the products had been delivered, the narrowboats could be filled with West Country china clay for their return trip. Potteries are still to be found along the Trent & Mersey and Caldon Canals in Stoke. Harecastle Tunnel The canal runs for 93 miles from the Bridgewater Canal at Preston Brook to Shardlow and the Trent Navigation. The part south of Harecastle Tunnel was completed first.

Harecastle Tunnel took eleven years to build, and by the time it and the northern section of the canal were opened, Brindley had been dead for five years. Major offshoots include the Wardle Branch, now usually regarded as part of the Shropshire Union’s Middlewich Branch, the Hall Green Branch, similarly now generally considered to be part of the Macclesfield Canal, and the Caldon, which has since earned the title of a canal in its own right. It also connects via the restored Anderton Boat Lift to the Weaver Navigation, and with the Staffordshire & Worcestershire and the Coventry Canals. The derelict Derby & Sandiacre Canal that connected at Swarkestone is under restoration, but the former Bond End Canal at Shobnall, Burton-on-Trent, is largely lost. The canal is broad between Shardlow and Burton-on-Trent because this part was used by barges coming off the Trent. The rest of the canal was narrow, but the section from Anderton to Middlewich was widened in the 1890s to accommodate broad boats from the Weaver.

(Hence the ‘Big Lock’ at Middlewich.) The Potteries The canal led directly to the development of the area subsequently known as the Potteries. It was also a major factor in the development of Burton-on-Trent as the country’s brewing capital. Traffic was heavy and freight movement was still considerable into the 1950s, with cargoes including coal, salt, beer and, of course, pottery. Nowadays the canal is an essential element in both the Cheshire and the Four Counties cruising rings. Canal Guide - Trent & Mersey Canal: Canal Boat Holidays, Canal Cruising, Canal Boat Hire, Anderton Boat Lift, Cannock Chase, Wedgwood Factory Canal Guide The Trent and Mersey Canal from the River Trent in Nottingham to the River Mersey at Preston Brook Researched and written by Jeannette Briggs The reason for the construction of this canal in the first place was the need to link the Midlands by water with the ports of Liverpool on the west coast and Hull on the east coast. The route was designed to cut through the centre of England via such manufacturing towns as Stoke on Trent and the Potteries. Not surprisingly the china manufacturer Joseph Wedgewood was one of the chief instigators of the canal.

He saw the obvious economic benefits of cheap and rapid transport of his delicate wares to the ports for export and relatively cheap transport for huge amounts of china clay and other bulky raw materials between the ports and his factories in the Potteries towns. The canal continued to be successful right up until 1914 and the start of the Great War. Nowadays hardly any freight is carried on the canal, but it is a main link between so many of the other canals that are used for pleasure boating. As such, it continues to enjoy large amounts of boating and cruising traffic between the great lock on the River Trent at Long Eaton in Nottingham and the end of the canal near the River Weaver in Cheshire. Two notable constructions of the canal age should be mentioned: these are the Harecastle Tunnel near Stoke on Trent and the Anderton Boat Lift near Northwich. More of these later. You enter the Trent and Mersey canal proper at Trent Lock, which is on the Sawley Cut of the River Trent, near the junction with the Erewash Canal. The nearest settlement of any note is the village of Sawley, whose mediaeval church is stunning.

There is a marina here with all the usual facilities, and a pub called The Steamboat Inn. Above: The River Trent at Trent Lock - photo by Alan Murray Rust and reproduced by kind permission. Above: The Canal at Sawley - photo by Tony Jacobs and reproduced by kind permission The canal goes almost due west for several miles passing settlements like Shardlow and Aston. Shardlow deserves a special mention. I first visited here in 1990, and it is a proper canal town. It is in a prime state of preservation, with examples of large scale canal architecture, old pubs and houses, and a boatbuilding yard. All of it grew up as a direct result of the building of the canal. If you get the time do plan to stop here and visit the town, and include the Clock Warehouse in your visit. It has a large central arch for boats to enter and unload, and was restored in 1979 as a canal centre. There are several cruiser firms operating from Shardlow, like Valley Cruises, Dobson's boatyard and Shardlow Marina, and some nice old canalside pubs like The Navigation, The New Inn and the Malt Shovel.

Above: Shardlow - The Clock Warehouse - photo by MartinClark and reproduced by kind permission When you can tear yourself away from Shardlow the next village is Weston on Trent - a misnomer actually as it is NOT on the River Trent at all, but on the canal. It has a canalside pub called the Plough. (However, the River Trent can still be seen to the south of the canal). Beyond Weston the countryside surrounds you with steep wooded hills until you reach Swarkestone. This little village has a unique 5-arched bridge across the River Trent from where an elevated roadway - or causeway - carries the road over the surrounding marshy ground to the next village of Stanton. This was actually the most southerly point reached in 1744 by Bonnie Prince Charlie and his band of Scottish followers, the Jacobites,when they marched on England and attempted to overthrow the hated English and King George II. You come across Barrow on Trent another little village not actually on the canal then you approach Stenson Lock, where there is a large marina, with all the usual facilities. Following this you pass Findern, bounded by the large and not very attractive Willington power station.

The canal skirts the village of Willington, which has good moorings plus three pubs all very close together, and all near Bridge No. 23. Above: Swarkestone Bridge across the River Trent - photo by Jerry Evans and reproduced by kind permission Above: The canal at Stenson Bridge - photo by Phil Myott and reproduced by kind permission You are now travelling in a south westerly direction towards the large town of Burton upon Trent. This is famous for the production of beer above all else. You can go on brewery trips round the Bass Beer Factory or visit the Heritage Brewing Museum. You will get a lovely whiff of the smell of malt and hops near the Marstons and Bass factories. The brewing industry was started by the monks (believe it or not) at Burton Abbey when they discovered that they could make good beer from the town's water supply, which has a high gypsum content. The town is an industrial one and has shops selling all supplies. There are boatyards here and - as you might expect - several pubs! After Burton on Trent the scenery around you returns to green fields but you are conscious of the noise from the nearby A38.

You may like to consider an overnight stop at the next village of Branston, as it has the last canalside pub for many miles - the pub is The Bridge. I have moored up at this pub and it is a great place. The next section of the canal is relatively quiet, with not a lot of signs of human habitation, just open fields and one or two settlements miles away from the canal. It is not until you reach Fradley Junction that things begin to "happen" again. You pass the village of Alrewas, ( I believe it is pronounced "Ol-ree-wuss") which is peaceful and pretty with lots of old houses and a 14th century Church complete with an old "leper window", through which lepers in mediaeval times could watch the services inside the Church. This seems strange and cruel to us, but lepers were -of course - forbidden entry inside the churches in those times, because people thought that they would catch leprosy from inhaling their breath..... I should mention that there is a weir here which can be dangerous in times of flood, and boaters should keep clear of this and steer over towards the towpath side of the canal.

Above: The Swan Inn at Fradley Junction - photo by Maurice Pullin and reproduced by kind permission Above: The Trent and Mersey Canal at Alrewas, showing the Church. Photo by Jerry Evans and reproduced by kind permission Past Alwewas you will start the descent of the Fradley locks until you reach Fradley Junction itself, with the Coventry Canal branching off south towards Coventry and Birmingham. There is a BWB yard here and lots of boatyards and moorings, and marinas with a full selection of supplies. Here there is a great pub with moorings called The Swan - again I have visited this in the past - and it will be a hard decision not to stop here for the night. Do buy all your supplies for the next section of your journey, as this will be your last opportunity for many miles....... After Fradley Junction the canal turns to a north-westerly direction and you travel again through many miles of open countryside, without much evidence of human habitation. You eventually pass the villages of Handsacre and Kings Bromley - and a canalside pub called The Crown at Bridge 58.

Next come the village of Armitage and the little town of Rugeley, which has an unlovely power station, but good moorings within walking distance of the centre of the town centre and lots of shops for your supplies. Above: The canal at Rugeley - photo by Patrick Mackie and reproduced by kind permission. You can see the regeneration here. From Rugeley it is a short distance to the point at which the canal passes through Cannock Chase, an area of outstanding natural beauty, complete with forest, heathland and herds of fallow deer. The countryside around the canal here is delightful, with vistas over the Chase, and through the grounds of stately homes, like Bishton Hall on your right as you travel north. Soon you reach the grounds of one of the grandest of the lot, Shugborough Hall. This is owned by the National Trust but leased to Staffordshire County Council, and has been the subject of massive renovations and repairs. You can easily visit it from the canal at Bridge 73.

It was owned by the famous family of sailors the Ansons, the Earls of Lichfield, and was originally built in 1693, but has been altered to keep up with the prevailing fashions in 1760 and again in the 19th century. Patrick Earl of Lichfield the society photographer sold it to pay for death duties in the 1960ies, and it is open to the public most days. Just after Shugborough you reach the famous Great Haywood junction, where the Trent and Mersey meets the Staffs and Worcester Canal, running south via Wolverhampton . Great Haywood is not a particularly pretty canal settlement (unlike - say - Stoke Bruerne or Braunston) but it does have the necessary shops, and makes a pleasant place to moor. There are of course lots of pubs here, the Fox and Hounds, and the Red Lion. Also Anglo Welsh Holidays have a base here.

Above: Shugborough Hall - photo by Angella Streluk and reproduced by kind permission Above: The signpost at the junction of the Staffs and Worcester and Trent and Mersey Canals at Great Haywood - photo by Row 17 and reproduced by kind permission. Leaving Great Haywood you are continuing to travel in a north westerly direction, through Weston, Salt and Sandon, as you follow the valley of the River Trent. There are peaceful meadows and a long stretch of the canal without any locks to add to your excitement. Weston has two pubs near the canal and worth a visit: the Saracen's Head and the Woolpack. Weston also has shops for supplies. After Burston you reach Aston with a lock - the first one for ages - and then you come across the busy little town of Stone, where you can book a canal boat hire from nearby operator Canal Cruising ( click here ). Stone has some great moorings and nice old canalside pubs so well worth a break in your canal boat holiday journey. There are also four locks here in quick succession, and they are DEEP!

Pubs of note are The Rising Sun and The Star, which are both right by the canal and offer moorings. The boatyards situated here are Canal Cruising Co. and Staffordshire Narrowboats, each with full facilities. From Stone it is a short journey to Barlaston, and you quickly become aware that you are approaching one of the great conurbations of England, the towns that make up Stoke on Trent and The Potteries. You actually pass the Wedgwood factory - the Wedgwood Group is one of the largest china and earthenware manufacturers in the world today, and their products are exported all over the world. The main reason for the existence of the Trent and Mersey canal was to transport the raw materials and the finished wares down to the ports at Liverpool and Hull. The Visitor Centre at Wedgwood is open every day and is well worth a visit, especially as you can do this in such a short walk from the canal at Bridge 104. At Barlaston there is another old canalside pub, the Plume of Feathers. The next length of the canal is industrial, and it passes factories and warehouses, brick furnaces of old and buildings of more recent times.

The Spode china factory is near the canal and you pass through four more locks before reaching the canal junction with the Caldon Canal, which branches off to the east. At the junction there is a statue of James Brindley the engineer who designed and built the Trent and Mersey canal. Above: The Canal at Stone - photo by Roger Kidd and reproduced by kind permission Above: Harecastle Tunnel north portal - photo by Maurice Pullin and reproduced by kind permission The canal now reaches one of the great feats of engineering on the whole canal system - Harecastle Tunnel, which is 2,926 feet long. Actually there were at one time three tunnels through the great hill north of Stoke on Trent. James Brindley saw that he could not avoid passing through the sandstone ridge here, and that a tunnel would have to be dug. Nothing like this had ever been attempted before, and engineering of this scale was a magnificent feat of the time. Brindley's tunnel was very narrow and did not have a towpath so the narrowboats had to be propelled through the tunnel by "leggers".

Men lay on planks attached to the boats and literally walked their way through the tunnel by stretching out their legs and walking sideways on the stone walls of the tunnel. Backbreaking work - and in the meantime the towing horse would have to be unhitched and led up and across the Harecastle Hill to the other end of the tunnel. Above: Leggers "walking" a narrowboat through a tunnel - photo by Blisworth Images and reproduced by kind permission Brindley's tunnel was a bottleneck, and in 1822 Thomas Telford, who had built the famous Llangollen Arm of the Shropshire Union, was asked to try and come up with a solution. He built the second tunnel, which was completed in 1827, together with a towpath, and the original Brindley tunnel became one-way. This considerably improved the situation, until disaster struck once again and due to mining subsidence Brindley's tunnel began to sink and had to be abandoned. Thus the tunnel used today is the Telford one. Much later the railways wanted to pass this way, and a third tunnel was built to carry the line between Stoke and Kidsgrove.

This too suffered from subsidence, and was abandoned and the railway line re-routed around the hill. The tunnel has its problems for boaters and must be treated with respect. You must follow the instructions given on the BWB boards at each end of the tunnel. A one-way system is in operation and the Tunnel Keeper's instructions should also be noted. As you exit the tunnel travelling north you descend through the town of Kidsgrove . You pass Harding's Wood junction and Red Bull aqueduct, where the Macclesfield Canal branches off again to your right as you travel north. The industrial scene that has been with you since Barlaston south of Stoke on Trent is now giving way to pleasant open countryside once again. You are beginning the long descent from the top level at Harecastle to the Cheshire Plain, down through a series of locks which used to be known as Heartbreak Hill. The locks come in pairs of narrow locks, situated side by side, but not all of them are useable side by side, because of the absence of some of the side pounds. You pass Church Lawton and Rode Heath, and then come to the little settlement of Hassall Green which has shops and pubs and all the supplies you could need.

It also has the M6 motorway thundering overhead, so this is not a particularly good place for an overnight stop. After leaving Hassall Green you continue through Cheshire countryside with lots of locks to keep you busy as you descend the Wheelock flight. Locally, brine extraction to make salt has resulted in severe subsidence and this has caused lots of problems for the maintenance of the Trent and Mersey canal. You pass the little settlement of Wheelock and near to the town of Sandbach which is a pleasant old market town with lots of period houses and a large church, St. Mary's. Canalside pubs here are The Cheshire Cheese and The Commercial. Also the Nags Head, a pub built in the typical local style of "black and white" is near Bridge 154. These buildings have a timber framework painted black, with wattle and daub infills painted in white and they are located all over the Cheshire plain area. You continue to descend locks with a busy main road alongside you, and the scenery becomes more industrial again as you approach Middlewich. Here a branch of the Shropshire Union branches off towards Church Minshull and Barbridge Junction.

Above: "Heartbreak Hill" - photo by David Stowell and reproduced by kind permission Above: Middlewich - the canal and moorings. Photo by David Stowell and reproduced by kind pemrission Middlewich has been here since Roman times, and salt extraction has been the continuing industry of the times. Salt was necessary for the preservation of meat and fish in the days before fridges and freezers, and was therefore highly prized and very expensive. Middlewich grew, with lots of old houses and St Michael's Church as testimony to the wealth of the town. It has Anderson Boats and Middlewich Narrowboats here and all the supplies you could need, as well as some canalside pubs like The Big Lock and The Kings Lock. Once you leave Middlewich you cross a very narrow aqueduct at Croxton and then navigate across some pretty countryside with lots of different views as the canal meanders almost like a natual river following the course of the River Dane. This is typical of a James Brindley canal! He never built locks if he could avoid it by making a canal go several miles along the natural contours rather than straight up and down!

You will pass the grounds of two mini-stately homes, Bostock Hall and Whatcroft Hall, before the canal approaches the town of Northwich . This again used to be the centre of the salt industry. Also river boats, narrowboats and barges were constructed here and shipped off down the River Weaver via the Anderton Boat Lift - more of this later in the para below. Most of this trade has ceased as well. There are moorings here if you want to reach the town centre for supplies. Once you leave Northwich you continue through nondescript scenery in which the ICI chemical works are only too visible. You pass through the grounds of Marbury Country Park, which is an oasis of green among the industrial scene, and you then approach another of those engineering wonders of the canal age - the great Anderton Boat Lift. This is an amazing and enormous structure which was built in 1875 by Edwin Clarke. The Anderton Lift was designed to connect the Trent and Mersey Canal with the River Weaver far below. The lift consists of two water filled tanks which counter-balance each other. They have counter-weights and now work with electricity - but originally they were steam powered.

They have been the subject of an intense restoration project, and you can now go on a boat trip which combines a session on the canal with a trip up or down the boat lift. There is a superb Visitor Centre with full facilities for children and a restaurant. Many people make a day out of a visit here. Visit for full details and times of entry. Above: The Anderton Boat Lift - photo by the Anderton Boat Lift Trust and reproduced by kind permission Above: The southern end of the tunnel at Preston Brook - photo by Johnny Essex and reproduced by kind permission After leaving Anderton you will have to traverse Barnton and Saltersford Tunnels, reaching a rural stretch of the canal once more high up above the valley of the River Weaver. The canal continues to Dutton, where there is another tunnel called Preston Brook. Preston Brook Marina is located here. This is effectively the end of the Trent and Mersey Canal, because when you emerge at the north portal of Preston Brook Tunnel you are in the Bridgewater Canal. I hope that you will enjoy your journey along the Trent and Mersey Canal.

It is not as spectacularly beautiful as some of our other canals, but it is filled with interest and has its share of Canal Age wonders such as the Harecastle Tunnel and the Anderton Boat Lift. It is also mportant as a "connecting" canal - from it you can access so many of the other canals on the network. Enjoy! Great Haywood Marina- Trent and Mersey Canal Top 100 Sites Trent and Mersey Canal Description of Trent and Mersey Canal: Runs 93 miles from Derwent Mouth, where it joins the River Trent, to Preston Brook, where it joins a branch of the Bridgewater Canal History of Trent and Mersey Canal: Originally known as the Grand Trunk Canal. Promoted by Acts of 1766, 1770, 1775, 1776, 1783, 1797 (two Acts), 1802, 1809 and 1827 For more details see the History page .

Subordinate Waterways of Trent and Mersey Canal Harecastle Tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal Related Articles of Trent and Mersey Canal The Cheshire Ring Related Books of Trent and Mersey Canal The Trent and Mersey Canal by Jean Lindsay, Edition: 1st edition, ISBN: 0 7153 7781 7, 182 pages, Published by David & Charles, in 1979, Inland Waterways History series. 16 plates and 10 maps.. Order now from . A Home Tour Through the Manufacturing Districts of England, in the Summer of 1835 by G Head, Edition: 1st edition, 445 pages, Published by John Murray, in 1836, Many journeys by canal and river are described, including the Bridgewater, Carlise and Annan, Halifax, Knottingley, Lancaster, Leeds & Liverpool and Trent & Mersey. Several new railways are also described as part of this industrial tour..

Historic Waterways Scenes: The Trent & Mersey Canal by Peter Lead, Edition: 1st edition, ISBN: 0 86190 509 1, 96 pages, Published by Moorland Publishing Co Ltd., in 1980, Pictures (mostly photographs) of the Trent & Mersey and associated canals.. Order now from . Knobsticks by Robert J Wilson, 32 pages, Published by Robert Wilson, in 1974, Canal carrying on the Trent & Mersey. Shardlow - 18th Century Port by D Cullimore, Published by Published by the author, in 1977, The Rise of the Staffordshire Potteries by J Thomas, Published by Adams & Dent, in 1971, Canal Settlement by D Iredale, Published by Leicester University, PhD Thesis on history of community at Barnton, Cheshire, on the Trent & Mersey Canal, in the period 1775-1845..

The Trent & Mersey Canal by Peter Lead, Edition: Hardback, 96 pages, Published by Publisher not known, in 1980, Selection of 131 old photographs from the Trent & Mersey, including the Caldon Branch.. The Anderton Boat Lift by David Carden, ISBN: 0 9533028 6 5, 180 pages, Published by Black Dwarf, in 2000, An excellent book on this unique waterways structure.. Order now from . Nicholson/Ordnance Survey Guide to the waterways - 4 by Not known, ISBN: 978-0-00-728164-0, 170 pages, Published by Nicholson, in 2009, Four Counties & the Welsh Canals. Includes Caldon, Leek, Llangollen, Monmouthshire & Brecon, Montgomery, Shropshire Union, Staffordshire & Worcestershire (north part), Trent & Mersey canals and the River Weaver.. Order now from .

Pearson's Canal Companion: Cheshire Ring by Michael Pearson, Edition: Eighth, ISBN: 978 0 9 5491160 7, 80 pages, Published by J M Pearson & Son, Includes the River Weaver, Rochdale Canal and the route to Preston via the Leeds & Liverpool - Rufford Branch,. Order now from . Pearson's Canal Companion: Four Counties Ring by Michael Pearson, Edition: Seventh, ISBN: 978 09 5491168 3, 80 pages, Published by J M Pearson & Son, Includes the Erewash and Trent and Mersey canals.. Order now from . Knobsticks by Robert J Wilson, Edition: Reset edition., ISBN: 0 907381 33 2, 32 pages, Published by Robert Wilson, in 2002, Written in 1974, Canal carrying on the Trent & Mersey.. Order now from .

A Guide to the Anderton Boat Lift by David Carden and Neil Parkhouse, ISBN: 1 903 59905 9, 48 pages, Published by Black Dwarf, in 2002, An historical guide to the Anderton Boat Lift.. Order now from . The Seven Canals of Derbyshire by Edward Garner, ISBN: 1 84306 072 8, 160 pages, Published by Landmark Publishing, in 2004, Covers the Cromford, Derby, Erewash and Nutbrook canals and the sections of the Chesterfield, Peak Forest and Trent & Mersey Canals that come within the county.. Order now from .

The Canals of the West Midlands (2nd Ed) by Charles Hadfield, 352 pages, Published by Augustus M Kelley, in 1969, Related videos of Trent and Mersey Canal Fred on Water , Released in 2003, 1 hour 13 minutes Produced by Visionimpact, The 2002 canal journey of Fred Talbot, the TV weather presenter, including the Ribble Link, Lancaster Canal, Anderton Boat Lift and the Falkirk Wheel. Available on tape. Order on video tape from The Cheshire Ring , Released in 1992, 0 minutes Produced by VideoActive, tape DVD. Order on video tape from . The Trent and Mersey Canal , Released in 1997, 0 minutes Produced by VideoActive, tape DVD. Order on video tape from . The Four Counties Ring , 0 minutes Produced by VideoActive, tape DVD. Order on video tape from . Order on DVD from Cathedral of the Canals , Released in 2002, 30 minutes Produced by Stephinson Television, The Anderton Boat Lift - The story of its renaissance. Produced for British Waterways and the Waterway Trust Available on tape.

Order on video tape from Boat Lifts of Europe , Released in 2002, 1 hour 8 minutes Produced by VideoActive, Covers several boat lifts in France and germany as well as the Anderton Lift and the Falkirk Wheel in the UK. Available on tape DVD. Order on video tape from . Related External Web Sites of Trent and Mersey Canal Alvechurch Boat Centres Holiday narrowboat hire from 7 bases. Also boat building and brokerage. Holiday Narrowboats at Barton Turns This site has been set up to offer unused Narrowboat holidays at Barton Turns Marina for rent, by owners not wishing to use their weeks. Black Prince Holidays Five bases, covering the canal system of England and Wales, with 80 narrowboats for hire. Claymoore Navigation Hire boats based at Preston Brook in Cheshire, where the Bridewater Canal meets the Trent & Mersey. Middlewich Narrowboats Hire boats based on the Trent & Mersey Canal. Great Haywood Marina The marina was completed in July 2007 and is situated on the Trent & Mersey Canal at Great Haywood, close to the historic junction of the Staffs & Worcs Canal.

Harral Brokerage Services Ltd Boat brokerage based at Wincham Wharf on the Trent & Mersey Canal. MCC Stenson Boatbuilders Midland Canal Centre well known narrowboat builders. Canal Cruising Canal Cruising is one of the oldest hire companies on the canals and after 50 years is still operated by the Wyatt family. Andersen Boats Boat hire based at Middlewich on the Trent & Mersey Canal. Jannel Cruisers Marina services and boat hire based at Burton upon Trent. Longport Brokerage Boat sales based at Stoke-on-Trent. The Stone Boat Building Company Ltd Chandlery and boat yard services. Ricochet Narrow Boats From initial-concept through to launching, Ricochet will produce your custom narrow-boat or wide-beam. Aqua Narrowboat Hire Based on the Trent & Mersey Canal near Burton upon Trent. Boating Days Canal boating holidays, full weeks, short breaks & day hire based at Acton Bridge on the Trent & Mersey Canal. Barton Turns Marina Situated at Barton Under Needwood near Burton on Trent on the Trent & Mersey Canal.

Kings Bromley Marina Built in 2002 and extended in 2004 theMarina offers 275 secure berths in a rural setting within 20 minutes of the M6 toll. Mercia Marina Opened on the Trent & Mersey Canal in 2008, with 600 berths, the marina was based on Willington Lake with five added islands and four promontories. Marine Cruises Operate from three canal holiday bases, on the Llangollen Canal at Swanley Marina, on the Trent & Mersey Canal Kings Bromley Marina near Lichfield and at their Scotish Base at the foot of the Falkirk Wheel. Crest Narrowboats Narrowboat hire from bases on the Trent & Mersey and Llangollen canals. Canal Boat Holidays Canal boats to sleep 4 or to sleep 6, depending on the size of boat from seven bases. Simtech Marine A narrow boat workshop located at Barton Marina on the Trent & Mersey Canal. Afloat boathire Afloat Boat Hire is based at Kings Bromley Marina on the Trent & Mersey Canal, with plenty of routes to choose from you can plan your holiday.

Related Cruising Logs of Trent and Mersey Canal Trent and Mersey Canal Other Links Trent and Mersey Canal The Trent & Mersey Canal connects the river Trent navigation at Derwent Mouth near Shardlow with the Bridgewater Canal at Preston Brook, which formerly gave access to the Mersey at Runcorn. At present the Runcorn locks are derelict, although restoration is proposed. The Mersey can still be reached either via the Anderton Boat Lift and river Weaver to the Manchester Ship Canal or via the Middlewich Arm and Shropshire Union Canal to Ellesmere Port. The Trent & Mersey Canal also connects with the Macclesfield Canal via the Hall Green Branch at Kidsgrove, the Caldon Canal at Etruria in Stoke-on-Trent, the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal at Great Haywood, and the Coventry Canal at Fradley Junction, justifying its original name of the Grand Trunk. Other former connections were the Burslem Arm (restoration proposed) and Newcastle-under-Lyme Canal (derelict and mostly filled in) in the Stoke area, the Bond End Canal at Burton-on-Trent and the Derby Canal (under restoration) at Swarkestone.

From Derwent Mouth to Horninglow Wharf at Burton the canal was built wide beam to take Upper Trent barges, and also from Preston Brook to Big Lock at Middlewich to take Mersey Flats, although this section was later restricted by Dutton stop lock and at Croxton aqueduct. The Trent & Mersey Canal is 93 miles long and has 76 locks. The maximum size of boat that can navigate throughout the Trent & Mersey Canal is length: 72' (21.95 metres) - Shardlow Lock beam: 7' 3" (2.2 metres) - Sandon Lock height: 5' 9" (1.74 metres) - Harecastle Tunnel draught: 3' 3" (0.98 metres) - cill of Dallow Lock Theriver weaver via anderton boat liftcanal boat holidays detailed route : River Weaver via Anderton boat lift holiday cruising route. This is a recommended canal boat holidays route. With the re-opening of the Anderton boat lift in Spring 2002, a whole new navigation is open for exploration from the Anderton base.

A stunning feat of 19th Century engineering, the lift carries two boats at a time hydraulically, one up and one down between the Trent & Mersey canal and the River Weaver 50 feet below. Head south to the head of the navigation and the Winsford Flash lakes, one of the many wildlife havens on the river. The River Weaver is a navigation that is tidal and occasionally carries commercial traffic, in small seagoing ships, and the locks are quite large. The bridges are either very high or are big swing bridges operated by British Waterways staff. The shortest bridge between the Anderton Boat lift and Winsford is 6 foot 4 inches high, so you should be able to duck under it, so you don't have to call the BW staff to open it. If you arrive at the boat lift in season, you can just turn up & wait for a slot, as the glass topped trip boat goes up and down the lift all day, but you might have to wait in the high season, but it is no hardship, as it is fascinating to watch the amazing structure of the Boat lift. The Lift connects the River Weaver with the Trent & Mersey Canal.

There is a large Operations Centre housing an extensive interactive exhibition, and a shop and a cafe with a seating area offering good views out over the River. There is also a pub opposite the Boat lift- The Stanley Arms, where children are welcome & they have an outside seating and childrens play area Tel 01606-75059. The trip down the River Weaver towards Winsford takes just 3 and half hours, but is a nice diversion to take in the Boat Lift. The whole trip takes 7 hours and can be done in a day. There are moorings near Northwich which is a rather attractive town on the junction of the Rivers Weaver & Dane. As with every town in the area, salt has been responsible for the towns prosperity and there is a salt museum in Northwich 01606 41331 which is open all year. For 200 years Northwich was prominent also for building and repairing ships and barges, because if you go northwards along the River Weaver you reach the Manchester Ship Canal. Navigation is not advisable in this direction, as you are not allowed onto the Manchester Ship Canal, and the River is tidal.

Nowadays the wharves by Town Bridge are empty and are an excellent mooring sire for visitors to the town. The town centre is very close, much of it has been completely rebuilt with an extensive shopping precinct. There is a floating Hotel close to the Northwich marina- The Floatel, tel 01606 44443, You can cruise down to Winsford and turn here, do not go under the Bridge into Winsford Bottom Flash, as it is very shallow. There are a few pubs near Winsford Bridge, and shops. River Weaver Other Links River Weaver The River Weaver Navigation runs from the Manchester Ship Canal at Weston Marsh Lock and Weston Point Docks to Winsford Bridge and connects to the Trent and Mersey Canal via Anderton Boat Lift. The River Weaver Navigation is 20 miles (32 km) long and has 5 locks.

The maximum size of boat that navigate throughout the Navigation is length: 196' (58.8 metres) height: 29' 6" (8.9 metres) draught: 9' 10" (3.0 metres) The maximum size of boat that can travel on Anderton Boat Lift is length: 72' (21.6 metres)

Question: What structure connects the Trent & Mersey Canal with the river Weaver?
Answer: ANDERTON BOAT LIFT